Katelyn Edel

Katelyn Edel

In addition to my new role with MANA, I am currently a first-year student at the Brown University School of Public Health, where I am focusing on rural health policy and women’s health and working towards my MPH degree. I first contacted MANA because I was looking for a data set that I could use for my upcoming thesis project. I was very committed to the idea of a thesis topic that would not only fulfill Brown’s requirements, but that would also interest and inspire me – and the two most inspiring topics I could think of were midwifery and statistics. 

I have been interested in healthcare for quite awhile, and I have a particular passion for women’s health and their well-being. The intent behind nearly all of my work is to contribute to a world in which women are supported in their reproductive choices, regardless of whether those choices are made at home, in a hospital, or in a larger societal context. I am especially invested in ensuring access, choice, and quality services for women in underserved and low-resource communities, and finding better ways to deliver care to those populations. 

I am incredibly blessed to have grown up in a family that not only supports, but also celebrates, women’s choice. My brother and some of my cousins have been born at home, all with the caring skill that only a midwife can provide. In this sense, I feel that I am really fortunate to have been exposed to midwifery throughout my life, because in school I often find myself in academic or clinical settings where the wisdom of midwifery is not supported, although I look forward to the day that this changes. 

Which, finally, brings me to my enthusiasm and interest in evidence-based practice and research. I firmly believe in the power of data, which is why I think the MANA Statistics Project is so wonderful. MANA Stats is an incredible tool for midwives, for researchers, and for the general community, because it is a vehicle that can provide truly valuable scientific insight. With the DOR, I am helping to ensure that midwives are able to use MANA Stats in an effective way – essentially, I am a “Data Doula,” and I do a lot of Support Calls, Welcome Calls, and general follow-up with the midwives that are enrolled with MANA Stats. I think it’s important to have real, honest-to-goodness phone conversations with the new enrollees, or with contributors who may feel unprepared to use the MANA Stats software, because it creates a sense of community and of support. Long-term, I will be not only continuing my work as a Data Doula but also creating a handbook and other resources for future Data Doulas, which will be important as the MANA Statistics Project continues to grow. 

I’m really very happy to have the opportunity to work with MANA Stats from both ends, as a future researcher using it for my thesis, and as a Data Doula for the midwife-contributors. So far, my work has provided me with a sense of holistic understanding about the entire research process and that has proven to be an invaluable tool. I look forward to continuing my internship throughout the year, and I am especially excited about attending the MANA Conference in Atlanta! Everyday I am inspired by all of the wonderful people that I meet at MANA, and I am honored to be a part of this community. As I continue with school (and as I start the certification process to become a doula!) I hope to be able to contribute to MANA in a myriad of ways – first as an intern, but one day as a member.